


Like a Cloud Fleeing from the Wind

by TerraCody



Series: The Night Before the Decisive Battle [13]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Awkward Dates, Bernadetta von Varley's Father's Bad Parenting, F/M, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Blue Lions/Golden Deer Joint Route, Headcanon, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Pre-Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Puppy Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:08:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26069968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TerraCody/pseuds/TerraCody
Summary: Bernadetta POV. She loved him when she only knew him as a sweet boy, the only person who was ever kind to her. Now when she stares at him, knowing the truth about everything...she doesn’t quite know how to feel about him.Nor does she understand how he feels about her.
Relationships: Yuris Leclair | Yuri Leclerc/Bernadetta von Varley
Series: The Night Before the Decisive Battle [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1841431
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	Like a Cloud Fleeing from the Wind

**Author's Note:**

> Fire Emblem: Three Houses and its characters are the property of Intelligent Systems, Koei Tecmo, and Nintendo. Yuri was one of my favorite new additions to Three Houses when the Cindered Shadows DLC was released. His relationship with Bernadetta quickly grew on me, especially with their history together, and I feel that they have incredible chemistry in their Support conversations. And though I like their ship, I really really like that their A Support ended with them being friends without the hint of a relationship until their paired ending. This is the first in what I hope is two stories about them.
> 
> In this story I place the timeline of Yuri being employed by House Varley before his adoption into House Rowe because it makes the most sense to me that Yuri would accept an assassin’s job before being adopted into the household of a Lord. If it’s revealed otherwise in canon, then...well, I’ll have to make adjustments to this story, lol.
> 
> But I digress. I hope you enjoy this story.

_13th of the Ethereal Moon, Imperial Year 1173_

I was dizzy and hungry. The room was dark; the curtains pulled closed tight. I didn’t know if it was daytime or nighttime. I didn’t know how long I’d been in that room.

The ropes were hurting my wrists, and I tried to remain still because if I moved the ropes would rub against my skin. The rope around my waist made it hard to breathe. The ropes around my legs hurt as well.

Everything hurt.

I felt like I was about to cry and I clenched my teeth and ducked my head. The tears slid down my cheeks and fell into my lap, but I tried so hard to stop crying. If Father heard me, he would be furious. I needed to be a proper lady who sat very still and didn’t make a sound. That was what he always told me.

 _If this is what being a proper lady is, I hate it! I hate it so_ much!

I was crying harder, but I held in the sounds and kept quiet. But I started shaking as I tried to suppress my tears, and by shaking my skin started rubbing against the ropes anyway. I couldn’t swallow the whimper in time.

I felt a hand cover mine. I quickly looked up, and my eyes widened at the violet eyes of the boy kneeling on the floor in front of me. “ _Ike_!”

He pressed a finger to his own mouth, signaling to me to be quiet. He looked over his shoulder towards the closed door. A door I thought was locked. _H-How did he get in here?_ I wanted to ask him that, but he signaled me to be quiet again and I pressed my lips together. 

Ike set a container on the floor; it looked like a canteen. Then he began untying my right wrist.

 _No!_ I leaned forward as far as I could, which wasn’t much, but my movement got Ike’s attention. He looked back up at me as I shook my head furiously at him. _Please, don’t do it! You’ll get into trouble! Father will be furious with you!_ I didn’t say the words out loud, but I thought the words at him with all my might. 

Ike stared at me for a long time. Because of how dark the room was I couldn’t fully see his expression, but I saw him nod. He reset the rope, but not as tightly. After a moment he moved to my left wrist and loosened the ropes ever so slightly. Then my legs and my middle. It didn’t look like it had made a difference, but the ropes didn’t hurt me badly now, and it was now easier for me to breathe.

As he came back around to kneel in front of me again, Ike produced a handkerchief from his pocket and reached up to wipe my face. I closed my eyes as he wiped the tears off my cheeks. My heart was pounding against the wall of my chest. He was such a good friend...nobody took care of me like this. Not mother, not my nannies, not the servants. Everyone avoided me and ignored me. And because everyone avoided me and wouldn’t talk to me, I didn’t even know the names of some of the servants in my own home!

But Ike wasn’t like the others. Ever since he joined the staff four moons prior he was always so sweet to me. I’d been awestruck by how _beautiful_ he was; I didn’t know a boy could be beautiful before I met him! He wasn’t afraid to talk to me or play with me. And now, he snuck into the room I was locked in while I was being trained to be a “proper lady” and he was taking care of me. He had wanted to free me, even though it could get him into serious trouble, but he still did it for me!

He finished cleaning my face and left the handkerchief on his knee. Then he picked up the canteen and lifted it up towards me. When the top touched my mouth, I was startled by how _warm_ it felt. When Ike tilted it and the liquid poured into my mouth, I realized that it wasn’t water in the canteen. It was _soup_! It tasted like chicken broth!

 _Oh. He brought me something to both eat_ and _drink_...

I was so unbelievably happy that he thought of me like this. I didn’t finish the canteen, but I nodded to him that it was enough. Ike picked up his handkerchief again and wiped my mouth for me. “ _Thank you_ ,” I mouthed to him. Tears stung my eyes once more at his kindness. I thought I saw him smile at me. At least I _hope_ he was smiling at me!

Ike looked over his shoulder towards the door again as he stood up. There was silence in the hallway outside. He turned away fully, and moved as though to walk away, but he stopped himself. As he stood there with his back to me, I decided to take a chance and mouth the words I really, really wanted to say to him but didn’t have the courage to. “ _I love you.”_

Ike stood there still for a moment before he turned back around to face me. There was no way he heard the words I mouthed to him, but my eyes widened again and I gasped as he leaned down and quickly kissed me on the cheek.

I blinked for a long moment, but when I opened my eyes he was gone. I knew I was alone again in the room.

_H...He kissed me! Ike kissed me! T-That—no boy has ever kissed me before! I-I don’t even remember the last time my parents kissed me!_

I felt his kiss on my cheek for longest time, and I felt like I was floating on a cloud. It happened so quickly, but I kept my eyes closed and held that memory in my mind. I was startled out of my haze when the heard the clock chime the hour, and chime seven times as I finally heard the door rattle and burst open.

_...I’ve been in here for six hours._

A footman didn’t look at me as he cut me loose. He worked quickly though, and didn’t seem to notice that the ropes had been loosened. But even though Ike had loosened the ropes, I still felt dizzy from sitting still for so long, and my legs hurt so badly that I couldn’t stand. I tried to stand up and tumbled out of the chair onto the floor.

_I didn’t have an accident this time, though. I can be thankful for that._

“Get up, Bernadetta.”

Father didn’t enter the room. But he didn’t need to; hearing his voice alone and seeing him standing in the doorway with the light behind him made me shake where I lay on the floor and tears stung my eyes once more.

”Get. Up.” Father didn’t raise his voice, but his tone was hard and unfeeling.

I closed my eyes and sniffled. My arms shook as I pressed my hands against the floor. I was able to get up onto my knees and push myself into a kneeling position. I slid one foot under me, but my leg still felt unsteady. I slid my other foot up, and my knees tucked under my chest. Slowly, carefully, I forced myself to stand. I was unsteady, and I was certain that I would fall over again, but thank the Goddess I didn’t. I kept my head lowered as I finally straightened into a standing position.

”Come here, Bernadetta.”

I curled inwardly but complied, though my steps were shaky.

” _Walk like a lady! Walk like your mother!_ ”

Oh no, now he was yelling. My hands raised defensively and I tried not to panic, but couldn’t help but panic. I was breathing fast and loud as I walked slower with a stiff spine, trying to remember how Mother walked. I kept my head tucked low as I got closer to him because I didn’t want to look at him. At least Father strongly disliked eye-contact; he said eye-contact was unbecoming of a proper wife. 

I knew that if I had to look him in the eye now that I would burst into tears again, and then he would be _very_ angry with me.

Father had moved backwards into the hallway and I came out into the highway. The hallways was fully illuminated in candlelight and it hurt my eyes terribly. I saw Mother standing at the end of the hallway but I couldn’t see her facial expression. The maids and footmen who were standing in the hallway with us were looking at the floor.

”I hope you’re learning a lot from these lessons, Bernadetta,” Father told me. “At least you had enough proper etiquette to not _soil_ yourself this time!” I winced and flushed when he put emphasis on the word. “But seeing as how your mother and I are burdened with having _you_ are the sole heir of House Varley, it is your duty to be matched with a Crest-bearing male of a Noble House, and produce _nothing_ but Crest-bearing children! Your future betrothed will _only_ accept a proper lady! Your future betrothed _will not_ accept a slovenly, greedy girl who thinks it is appropriate to drip food onto the table! Do you understand?!”

I quickly nodded. “Y-Yes, Fa—”

” _Speak with a clear voice_!” Father snapped at me. His voice echoed down the hallway. “A proper lady does not stutter her sentences, Bernadetta!”

I squeaked and raised my hands again. “Yes, Father! I understand, Father!” I was shaking so badly that I thought my voice would shake again, but thank the Goddess it didn’t!

”It is dinner time,” Father said, his voice lowering once more. “But given your disgraceful actions at lunch, you will eat your dinner in your room under the supervision of a maid. Do not disappoint me, Bernadetta. I do not want to receive a report that my daughter, the future Head of this House, ate like a _starving beggar_ in front of a _lowly maid_!

”You are dismissed.”

Mother didn’t say a word once, either in agreement with Father or in defense of me. I was quite pleased that I was sentenced to my room and did well to hide my joy as I curtsied to Father. “I understand, Father.”

”What an undignified curtsy,” Father said with disgust in his tone. “Get out of my sight this instant.”

It wasn’t so difficult to walk away from Father, and my legs were not so unsteady. I walked away from Father and headed down the hallways towards Mother. I ducked my head so that I didn’t have to see her face, but I didn’t need to see her face to know what she felt. Her silence spoke louder than words.

I walked through the main hall, and any servants that were going about their business quickly avoided me and walked in opposite directions of me. When I knew that my parents could not see me, I immediately raced up the flight of stairs. I headed to my room, ducking my head as I ran. _I’m not safe, I’m not safe! Not anywhere in my own house! But my room—I’m safe in my room! I’m always safe in my room, I have to hurry!_

I burst into my room, and was sobbing before I threw myself onto my bed. I grabbed my pillow and hugged it to my face as I sobbed. _Why...Why is this happening to me? Because I was born into a Noble House? Because I have a Crest! I hate it! I wish I didn’t have a Crest!_

What was so awful was that the reason I was put in the room—the “slovenly” behavior that I exhibited at lunch was just a sprinkle of rice slipping off my spoon when I lifted it from the plate! It was precisely five pieces of rice that landed on the table! They touched the table but briefly because I quickly cleaned it up, but Father was absolutely furious with me! And I didn’t even get the chance to finish lunch before I was dragged from the table into that horrible room!

I curled into a ball on my bed...and felt something slide down over my head. I lifted my head in confusion, and the object slid down over the front of my face and landed on the pillow in front of me. It was a fully bloomed, pink pitcher plant. My favorite flower.

I realized that the flower was left on my pillow, and I knew precisely who left it. “Ike...”

I pressed the flower against my face and cried harder. I knew I had to get ready because they would bring my dinner up to me soon, but I took the moment to cradle the flower to me. I was happy, but...but this was so bittersweet. It felt so awful knowing that only one person in the whole world cared about me, and that one person was neither of my parents.

But Ike cared. Ike was a servant and a commoner, but he truly cared about me. I didn’t know what I would do without him.

* * *

_29th of the Verdant Rain Moon, Imperial Year 1186_

I grabbed the doorknob, but hesitated. I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths. _It’s okay. I’ll be okay. I’m just going to...sit outside my room and knit! We leave tomorrow, after all!_

_I’ll see Mother tomorrow..._

”Mmm!” I shook my head quickly and let go of the doorknob. After another moment I grabbed the doorknob again and left my room.

I hugged my basket to me as I looked back and forth across the courtyard in front of the First Floor Dormitories. It was strange—nobody was around. Where did everybody go? Did they leave for Enbarr already? I almost believed it but I shook my head again. _No. It’s still so very early; the Sun just came up after all. We leave tomorrow, not today._

I sat down on the steps and set the basket down next to me. My knitting needles were inside, as was a purple sweater that was nearly finished. I smiled when I saw the sweater, and I held up. I was certain that I had gotten the measurements right; it shouldn’t be too tight in the torso region, and the sleeves looked even on both sides. 

But the hem was still too short for my liking. It should be fine though if I added seven—no, eight more centimeters!

_I have to finish it today! If I don’t finish it today, I won’t be able to give it to him in time before the final battle!_

_You’ll see Mother then..._

”Ugh!” I winced again. I was trying to distract myself, but it wasn’t working. I feel I had made the right decision to take a stand against Edelgard. My parents had also sided against Edelgard, and were one of the few Imperial Houses who wouldn’t bend the knee to her (the other being House Aegir). But my family was nonetheless forced into compliance when Father was taken as a political hostage, and Mother was forced to take on the role of head of House Varley in “support” of Edelgard.

_And you will fight Mother tomorrow..._

”No!” I shook my head furiously again. “Stop thinking about it, Bernie!” I grabbed my needles. “I’m going to finish this sweater!”

”Hello, Bernadetta.”

The voice behind me made me immediately flush, and I quickly threw the sweater back into the basket and covered it with the basket lid. “O-Oh, Yuri!” I forced a smile over my shoulder. “Good morning!”

Yuri Leclerc was leaning against the pillar to my left, arms folded over his chest as he stared down at me. I met his violet eyes briefly, but the familiarity of them made me look away. “Ah...c-can I help you?” I asked timidly.

”What do you have there?” Yuri asked bluntly, pointing to my basket.

I yelped and threw my entire body across the basket to cover it. “N-Nothing! It’s nothing at all!”

”Really?” Yuri’s tone showed that he didn’t believe me. I looked back up at him though and saw that he was _smirking_ at me! _H-He’s making fun of me!_ I frowned and sat back up. ‘“D-Don’t make fun of me, Yuri!”

”Me? Make fun of you?” Now he looked playfully offended, but his smile changed and my heart skipped a beat. Despite everything that had happened between us, I still loved looking at his smile. “And here I was, hoping you would want to join me for cake later.”

”Cake?” I was immediately interested and stood up.

”Yes, cake,” Yuri said, nodding. “The Dining Hall got some kind of powder called “chocolate” yesterday. Apparently it’s quite delicious, and I know how much you love cake so I reserved a slice for you and me later.”

”Y...” I blinked several times as I stared at him. I waved my hands slightly as I tried to find the right words to say. “A-Are we going to share a meal with the Professor again?”

Yuri laughed shortly and shook his head, and I flushed with embarrassment. “Oh, Bernadetta...don’t you see what going on?”

”What’s...going on?”

Yuri suddenly leaned in close to my face, the quick movement startling me still. “I’m asking you out on a _date_ , Bernadetta.”

I yelped and flew backwards off the stairs. I would’ve fallen back onto the grass, but Yuri casually reached out and grabbed my wrist to stop my fall. “A d-d-d-d-date?!” I almost screamed.

”Yes, a d-d-d-d-date,” Yuri repeated back to me. “A fun “play-date” between two good friends this evening. I want to sit with you in the Dining Hall and eat cake with you. We’re leaving tomorrow, and so tonight I thought we should both have fun while we have time to do so.” He narrowed his eyes slightly. “Or are you saying that you _wouldn’t_ want to go on a play-date with someone like me?”

”N-No!” I pulled myself back up using his arm as leverage. I sputtered for a few moments before I could say the words I wanted to say. “I-I would love you— _IT_!” I quickly shrieked. “I-I would like to have cake with you!”

Yuri smiled again. “You’re so quick to agree with me. Aren’t you concerned that I may have nefarious ulterior motives?”

My mind quickly wandered to a—shameful place and I shook my head to clear it as I blushed again. “N-No! I trust you! Y-You’re my friend, and I know that you wouldn’t hurt me!”

Yuri hummed softly, and suddenly raised my hand up. I gaped as he raised my hand to his lips, but he stopped it before they made contact with my knuckles. Not once did his eye break contact with mine. “I have to go an let the residents of Abyss know that I won’t be available tonight. But I’ll stop by later to pick you up.” 

I was breathing rapidly as he walked away from me, my hands clasped over my heart. _What—did that just happen? Did I agree to go on a date with Yuri? W-Why would he want to go on a date with ME?!_

_Because he loves you..._

I quickly shook that thought away and covered my ears with my hands. _No! I won’t think like that! Yuri said that this was a play-date, not a romantic evening!_

I looked down at my basket again and slowly picked it up. I peeked inside and looked at the sweater. The sweater I had decided to knit for Yuri. _I...I’m almost done with this. I’ll finish this, and then give it to Yuri when we meet up tonight for our play-date..._

* * *

I was adding the final centimeter to the sweater’s hem when I heard a knock at the door. “Hello, Bern!”

I immediately perked up at hearing this voice and turned towards the door. “C-Come in, Dorothea!”

Dorothea Arnault breezed into my room, wearing a smile that put me at ease. “Oh Bern, please don’t tell me you plan on spending the whole day in holed up in your room! Don’t you want to try that cake everyone’s been talking about?”

”Oh, yes I do,” I agreed. “I’m going t—” I noticed then that Dorothea was holding a book in her arm. I recognized the faded pink cover and felt heat on my face. “A-Ah, Dorothea! That book—!”

”Oh, this?” She held it up for me to see. I gulped hard as I recognized the title of the book _‘My Love on Dove’s Wings’_. “I got it from the Shadow Library in Abyss. Yurikins gave me permission to borrow it.”

I gaped at her. “H-He let you borrow it?!”

”Oh, sure! And I’m glad he did, this is one of the most fascinating romance novels I’ve ever read! The way the author conveys emotions on page—you feel like you’re in love right along with the characters! I’ve never had such an _immersing_ experience reading a book before! It’s a shame that it’s been banned for two hundred years!”

”O-Oh, um...” I fidgeted where I sat. “I-I found that book some time ago, b-but Yuri told that...” I ducked my head slightly. “He said that there were...explicit lovemaking scenes.”

”Oh, _very_ explicit,” Dorothea agreed nonchalantly. “And frequent. I’m more than halfway finished reading the book and I’ve counted _six_ sex scenes. Can you believe it? One of the scenes took _ten pages_! It’s probably one of the reasons the book was banned. The author describes the act of lovemaking in such a...realistic manner, that you can fully visualize the characters in your mind in the act of lovemaking!”

I peeked up at her. “A-Ah, I see. And you enjoy reading the book?”

”Of course I do! I love the plot and the characters, and the sex scenes enhance the storytelling instead of detracting from it!” She casually sat down on my bed. “Bern, you’re probably aware that people who fall in love tend to want to join their bodies in lovemaking.” She laughed shortly. “Of course, people who _aren’t_ in love are also driven by such needs. But it’s natural.”

”W...Why would he let you borrow the book and not me?!”

”Would you like to borrow it?” She held it out to me. I waved my hands furiously and shook my head. “N-No, that’s okay!”

”Oh, okay.” Dorothea laughed for a moment before sobering. “It’s sad, isn’t it? How easy it is to find a bedfellow for one night, but love...trying hold onto the person you love seems so difficult.”

I lowered my knitting and swallowed hard. Dorothea was always so happy when we were students, but ever since we reunited at Garreg Mach she was more subdued and somber. I didn’t know what to do or say to make her feel better. “A-Ah...Dorothea? Are you...okay?”

Dorothea forced a smile at me. “Not quite. I’m anxious about tomorrow and, I—well, it’s looking like I’m going to have some unfinished business before we march.”

”O-Oh, you shouldn’t leave unfinished business!” I protested, waving my hands. “Anything can happen tomorrow. I-Isn’t it better to just settle everything now? If something happens tomorrow and you’re not able to settle it, I-I know that you’ll regret it!”

Dorothea smiled again, and I was relieved to see it more relaxed. “Isn’t this a rare treat? You, giving me advice and encouragement? And you’re right, of course—I absolutely _should_ settle my business before we leave tomorrow.”

”A-Ah...” I looked away briefly before looking back at her. “E-Excuse me, but...can I ask what your unfinished business is?”

”Trying to figure out a love confession,” Dorothea said bluntly.

I felt myself blushing and I clapped a hand over my mouth. “Y-You’re in love?!”

”Oh yes, quite strongly,” Dorothea replied unashamedly. “It can be both a pleasant and uncomfortable feeling, can’t it?”

I gaped at her. “Ah—what?”

”Well, aren’t you in love too Bern?” Dorothea pointed towards me. “Aren’t you knitting that sweater for your beau?”

I yelped and hugged the sweater to my chest. “I-It’s not like that! I-I’m knitting this f-for Yuri!”

” _Yurikins_?” Dorothea looked surprised briefly before a look of delight crossed her face, furthering my embarrassment. “Oh Bern, you’re in love with Yurikins? That’s so sweet! I should’ve guessed that was for him, since the sweater is the same color as his hair! You said he was your commoner friend, right? I’m glad you two were able to settle things after he admitted he tried to kill you!”

”N-No, it’s just—”

”Oh, you two will have the most _adorable_ children! You both have purple hair-color and cute faces! Oh, I can just imagine it!”

”W-We’re not going to get married!” I cried out, my hands curling into fists around the sweater. “He—He just invited me for cake later as a play-date!”

”Ooh, a _date_!” Dorothea cooed. She quickly stood up and headed for the door. “I have some makeup, let me test the perfect color palette for you! Trust me, Yurikins won’t be able to resist y—”

”NO!” I finally shouted, jumping to my feet. “It’s not like that _at all_! We’re just going to eat cake together later! That’s it!”

”Hey,” Dorothea said, her tone immediately turning seriously. She raised her hands as she slowly approached. “I’m sorry, Bern. I was only teasing you. I think that it’s very cute that he invited you to cake! It was smart of him to reserve it, because there’s a long line stretching all the way to the Central Building. Just about everyone wants to try that cake!”

I slowly sat down in my desk chair. I looked at the sweater in my lap. “...We’re only friends,” I said quietly. “I-I was sewing him this sweater because—” I closed my eyes. “I...I’d wanted to make a sweater for him when I was little! I-I was halfway done and wanted to surprise him with it, when he...” my voice trailed off.

”When your father caught him trying to kill you,” Dorothea finished. She knelt down on the floor in front of me. “It must be difficult then, maintaining a friendship with him with all of these conflicting feelings.”

I shook my head again. “H...” I hid my face in the sweater again. “He was my first love.”

Dorothea didn’t say anything. I gulped before continuing. “I loved him when we were kids. When I thought he died, it hurt so _much_! I can still remember that pain, even after knowing he was alive! H-He didn’t know, of course. He only knew me as a friend, a-and I want to have that friendship! I feel that he did care about me then, a-and maybe he cares about me now. B...”

”Hey.” Dorothea reached out and stroked my knee. She was keeping her tone soft and gentle. “Don’t let me spoil your outing tonight. You _do_ mean a lot to Yurikins, Bern. I mean, why else would he spend the last night before such a massive battle with you? Don’t think about it too much. If you say that you’re friends, then you’re friends. Go and enjoy yourselves as friends.”

”Mmm...” I curled up into a ball, but Dorothea tugged on my bangs slightly. “Hey. None of that. Yuri invited you for a play-date later, so you should enjoy yourself. If you don’t, then _you’ll_ be the one with unfinished business.”

She had a point. I knew she was right. But her teasing—Dorothea said many things that was causing my mind to go to a place it hasn’t gone to in a long time.

_I loved him...do I still love him now? What does he feel for me?_

* * *

The sweater was finished. It was neatly folded in a cross-body satchel I was currently wearing.

But now I was seated on my bed, knees drawn to my chest— _I’m wearing shoes, Mother would be furious to see me wearing shoes in bed..._ —and I was staring out the window. Night had fallen. It was funny, how I woke up feeling turmoil and now I was ending the day with even greater turmoil inside of me.

_Because you’re going to kill Mother tomorrow..._

”Mmm!” I slapped my hands over my ears. I began humming loudly to dispel the awful thoughts and rocked slightly. _Everything—Everything will be okay. I’ll make it through tomorrow and Mother won’t be there!_

_You’re more worried about your feelings for Yuri than killing Mother..._

I hummed louder and rocked with greater intensity. _Stop it, Bernie! Stop it this instant! You’ve done well with dealing with this! Yuri will be here any minute, and—_

_The boy who tried to kill you..._

I burst into tears and pressed the heel of my hands against my face. Why...oh why was this happening _now_?! I was able to put this out of my mind! I forgave Yuri, and have been able to come to better grips with how Father treated me when I was a child! I was in a much better place mentally, but all of it now crumbled!

_So you must forgive Father then for everything just because he saved you from one assassin?_

I was hiccuping on my tears now, and I clenched my teeth. No...maybe I hadn’t fully forgiven Father for how he treated me. Yuri had tried to reassure me that Father loved me just because he prevented Yuri from killing me, but knowing that Father personally saved me one time didn’t make things better for me! Father had made no attempts to reconcile with me, and even after he stopped trying to turn me into a “proper lady” he never apologized! He just simply ignored my existence!

_Oh no, I’m turning into a mess! I don’t want to march tomorrow, I don’t want to leave! I don’t want to do anything!_

“Augh!” The knock at my door startled me. I scrubbed at my face as I stood up to face the door. “W...Who is it?” I called out meekly.

”It’s me, Bernadetta.” My stomach clenched at hearing Yuri’s voice. “Our cake is ready. Are you ready to go?”

”I-I...” I fidgeted violently where I stood and frantically looked around my room as though looking for a place to hide. “I changed my mind!” I blurted out.

“Really?” Yuri’s tone dropped. He didn’t sound angry but he didn’t sound amused. 

”Y-Yes!” I answered. “M-My, ah, stomach! My stomach is hurting! I-I don’t think it would be a good idea for me to eat cake when my stomach hurts! Ah! Ooh!” I yelled out fake noises of pain and hugged my arms to my stomach, even though my door was closed and Yuri couldn’t see me.

Yuri answered me with a long period of silence. My heart ached as I realized how much this had to hurt him, and I hesitantly approached my door. ”...Yuri?”

I still heard silence on the other side of the door and tears stung my eyes again. _I-Is he gone? Oh, but of course he’s gone! Why would he waste his time on ME?! I’m not worth the effort! I—_

“ _Bernadetta_.” Yuri’s voice was so sudden and so sharp that it startled me greatly. “Are you seriously choosing now, of all nights, to pull a ridiculous stunt like this?”

I was so relieved that he was still there, but I still felt sick from everything. “I-I’m really not feeling good!” I cried out feebly. “Like I said, my head—”

”Your head?” Yuri interrupted me. “You have a _headache_?”

”Yes, like I said! I have a terrible, splitting headache—”

“No, you said it was a stomachache.” Yuri was now sounding annoyed. “So is it your stomach or your head? You can’t even keep your ailments straight!”

”It’s both!” I wailed, wringing my hands and stomping my foot. “I can’t come out! I need to rest for the battle tomorrow!”

”Bernadetta,” Yuri said quickly, his tone impatient. “I don’t know what happened to make you refuse me now, but I _know_ you want to spend time with me! You were excited this morning when we talked about! Just take a deep breath, open the door, and for the love of _Goddess_ enjoy yourself for once tonight!”

He was right—I _was_ happy when he invited me to cake this morning. But since then—since then, my mind and heart was filled with ugly thoughts and feelings that I couldn’t shake off.was reminded of so many unpleasant things in my life. My parents, my childhood, Yuri—

_Because you’re in love with a boy who wanted to kill you._

I whimpered again and pressed my hands over my ears. I tried to hum to drown out the ugly thoughts once more, but the hard pounding at my door startled me. I had forgotten that Yuri was still there! 

“Open the door, Bernadetta!” Yuri shouted, his tone full of irritation.

”No!” I shouted back.

He pounded again. ”Open up!”

”No!”

”Open!”

” _Never_!” I shrieked so loud that I strained my voice. “I’m never leaving this room _ever again_!”

Yuri was panting harshly on the other side of the door, and I couldn’t hold back my tears. I pressed both hands over my mouth to muffle my cries. _Please, Yuri. I’m so sorry for doing this, but please just go away!_

”Fine,” Yuri said with resolution.

I ducked forward and covered my hands as I cried harder. _I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! I wish I wasn’t like this! I wish I was confident like you! I...I just wish I wasn’t me!_

**BANG!**

I screamed in shock and flew backwards, landing hard on my window seat as Yuri kicked my door open with a single kick. He swept inside, looking intimidating and beautiful as he always did. And very angry.

”Ha!” Yuri yelled, jabbing a finger at me as he advanced on me. He was smiling but his eyes were glaring. “You’re dressed and ready to go! You _do_ want to go with me! You were always a terrible liar, Bernadetta!”

I gaped at my door, stammering in horror when I saw one of the doorknobs. It was bent at an angle. I scrambled to my feet. “Y—You _broke my door_!”

”Yes, yes, just like Ingrid did,” he quickly conceded. “Now, shall we?”

He didn’t wait for my reply. He swept down, and I screamed as he hauled me up and over his right shoulder, satchel and all. “Y-Yuri!”

”Our cake and tea are waiting, let’s go,” Yuri said impatiently, turning on his heel and briskly walking out of my room. He stopped briefly to close the door (and though it closed all the way I knew that it wasn’t going to lock) and continued on his way towards the Dining Hall. “Yuri, put me down!” I shouted, struggling. “Put me down this instant!”

”I would suggest not struggling or else I might drop you,” Yuri warned me. _That_ was enough to make me stop struggling, though I hung over his shoulder dejectedly like a sad sack of flour. _Oh...why must you be so unlucky Bernie?!_

”Good evening,” I heard Yuri say, and I looked up to see who he was addressing. We were on the landing that linked the Dining Hall, the Dormitories, and the Greenhouse. I craned my neck and perked up a little when I saw Petra Macneary standing nearby with Ignatz Victor. “Oh, h—” I almost called out a greeting to Petra, but then I caught a glimpse of her expression and dropped my hand. Night had fallen and even with torches lit around us it was difficult to see Petra’s expression fully. She...didn’t look happy, though.

_W...Why is she upset?_

Yuri climbed the stairs and I rocked uncomfortably on his shoulder as he climbed each step. At the top I heard excited shouting coming from the Fishing Pond and looked in that direction. I couldn’t see who was out there in the darkness, but the voices were familiar. _Is that Ashe, and...Annette? Well, they’re having a good time at least..._

Yuri turned towards the Dining Hall, and I decided to look towards Petra and Ignatz again. I couldn’t help but ‘eep’ when I saw Petra suddenly lunged at Ignatz, tackling him against the rail and nearly sending them both over the side. But—they disappeared from sight behind the wall, but I felt myself blush hard and pressed a hand against my mouth. _Th—They were **kissing**_ _! I know they were!_

”I reserved two slices of chocolate cake and a pot of Honeyed-Fruit Blend tea under Yuri!” Yuri called out to the Head Chef the moment we crossed the threshold into the Dining Hall. My stomach began rumbling and my mouth watered at the deliciously sweet smell that had permeated the Dining Hall _Is that chocolate! It smells so good!_

“I see your reservation,” the Head Chef confirmed, checking her list. “Would you like your slices plain or topped with Albean be—”

”Sounds fantastic!” Yuri interrupted her in agreement. People were looking at us, especially those in the winding line that took up the entire length of the Dining Hall. “Ah, free seats!” Yuri plopped me down in a chair at the end of the table closest to the door we just came through. “Stay right here,” he said before hurrying to the counter.

I fidgeted violently in my chair and watched him bring over a tray with a tea set on it. The smell of Honeyed-Fruit Blend tea floated over to me and I relaxed somewhat. He set the tea set down at the edge of the table before running back to get the cake. He returned with two plates of a dark, sweet-smelling cake topped with Albean berries. He briskly put the cake down in front of me, and then took a seat across from me and quickly set his own plate down. “There,” he said with finality. “That wasn’t so difficult, was it?”

”Ah...” I rubbed at my head awkwardly and looked at the teapot. I felt uncomfortable and embarrassed being there, but...but at the same time a part of me was _happy_ that Yuri pushed so hard for me to come out. “W-Would you like some...?” I gestured at the pot.

”I would love some,” Yuri agreed, and I relaxed again when I heard his tone relax. I looked at him as I poured him a cup and I saw that he was smiling. He always had such a beautiful smile. I remembered when we were kids when he would smile at me I would become so overjoyed and—and calm. He always had a calming effect on me—“Careful!” Yuri said suddenly, and I yelped as I nearly overflowed his cup. “S-Sorry!”

”It’s fine,” Yuri said, waving a hand. “Here, I’ll pour you a cup too.”

He did, and I actually felt a little giddy when I realized that I was smiling at him. Yuri also seemed to be in a better mood as we drank our tea. “T-Thank you for getting Honeyed-Fruit Blend,” I said quietly. “This is my favorite tea...”

”Well, it’s one of _my_ favorites too,” Yuri pointed out.

”Y-Yes, but isn’t Seiros Tea your favorite?”

”Sure it is. But I know that you’re indifferent to the tea so I thought we should have a tea we both enjoy. It’s a good thing we both like your favorite tea, eh?”

I nodded as I set the teacup down and looked at the cake. “This looks so good!”

”Yes, it is.” Yuri picked up his spoon. “And something that smells this good has to _taste_ pretty good, eh?”

”I-I hope so...”

”I _did_ hear something interesting, though. Apparently Dimitri, Dedue, and Flayn ate Teutates Loach topped with a drizzle made from this chocolate yesterday. And apparently it was the most disgusting meal ever created in this kitchen.”

”Chocolate and _Teutates Loach_?” Just saying the two together made me sick to my stomach. “This chocolate smells too sweet for Teutates Loach of all things!”

”Which is why that recipe was immediately scrapped, and they switched to the more appealing cake idea.” He scooped up a spoonful of cake and Albean berries and put it in his mouth. My mouth sank when his face dropped. “H...How is it?” I asked him.

”Terrible,” he told me bluntly. “It’s the worst thing I’ve ever tasted.”

I groaned in dismay and shook my head. “Awww! I was looking forward to this!”

”Really? Even with the headache and stomachache?”

”But this smells so good! How can something that smells so good taste so—”

I didn’t notice that Yuri had scooped up more cake and berries onto his spoon. I also did not notice that he was reaching across the table with said spoon—not until he pushed it into my open mouth!

”Mmmph!” I cried out in shock, though the sound was muffled by the spoon.

”See?” Yuri asked teasingly, pulling his arm back. “Terrible, isn’t it?”

I licked my lips as the flavor settled into my mouth...and I suddenly glared at him. “T-This isn’t terrible! This is wonderful!”

Yuri laughed softly. “Don’t you notice when I’m teasing you?”

I looked at his spoon and felt heat on my face once more. “Y-You just fed me with your own spoon!”

”That I did.” Yuri unapologetically continued eating his slice of cake with the same spoon. I couldn’t help but gape at him. _That—He put that in his mouth first! Then he put it in mine! And he’s continuing to use it himself! Doesn’t he realize that we’ve indirectly kissed each other?!_

”Aren’t you going to eat your slice?” Yuri asked me, pausing to take a sip of tea.

”Y-Yes, of course!” I quickly began shoveling the cake into my mouth without pausing to chew. It was delicious but I was also embarrassed. _When he does things like that, it makes this feel less like a play-date and more like a REAL date!_

”Yuri-bird!”

Both of us looked up as Hapi raced over to us. She was holding a plate of cake in each hand. “Yuri-bird, are you on your date?”

 _Date?!_ I quickly looked at Yuri, but he was looking at Hapi. “Good evening, Hapi. Are both of those slices of cake for yourself?”

”Of course they are,” Hapi replied nonchalantly. “I couldn’t help...” she looked towards me as she spoke and her voice trailed off. Her magenta eyes widened. “Oh, Bee?”

I stared at her in confusion. “‘Bee’?”

”That’s Hapi’s nickname for you, she has one for everyone,” Yuri quickly clarified. He leaned forward slightly towards Hapi. “Hapi, do you remember what I said this morning?”

“That you wanted to be left alone while you spent some time with your love.”

I coughed on the cake that I was swallowed and quickly drank the rest of my tea. I saw Yuri flush very briefly, but I still saw it before he recovered his composure. He laughed and shook his head. “Oh Hapi—”

”I’m actually surprised that it’s you Bee,” Hapi said, turning back to me. “Yuri-bird is our leader so he’s always front and center, so he’s usually discreet with his lovers and isn’t the type for “dates”—he doesn’t like being gawked at while with a significant other. So we were all surprised when he told us he was going on a date tonight.” She smiled at me. “Since he brought _you_ out on a date Bee, you must mean a lot t—”

Yuri pushed back his chair so forcefully that the legs scraped against the floor hard. “Say!” Yuri said loudly, talking over Hapi. “I think I’ve had enough cake! What say you, Bernadetta?”

”Y-Yes,” I said quietly, getting up from my seat. I hadn’t finished my cake and I felt bad about wasting food, but I had lost my appetite.

”Can I take those if you two aren’t finishing them?” Hapi asked, pointing to our unfinished slices with her plate.

”You’re sound like Balthus or Raphael, I can’t decide which,” Yuri laughed softly but Hapi only shrugged. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

I followed Yuri out of the Dining Hall, but when I turned towards the Dormitories Yuri grabbed my hand. “Wait,” he said, keeping his voice quiet. “I’m sorry about that. C...Would you mind staying with me for a little while?”

I turned my head away so that he couldn’t see my face. “D...Did you really tell everyone that this was a date and not a play-date?”

Yuri sighed shortly. “It’s semantics, Bernadetta. Did you enjoy yourself at least before Hapi showed up?”

I did. I really did, and I nodded to show it. “I...” the embarrassment I felt when Hapi approached us flared up inside me again, which caused the other ugliness to flare up in me again. _I’ll be facing Mother tomorrow...I’ll be taking down my own country tomorrow...I don’t know what I feel for Yuri and I don’t know what he feels for me..._

I felt hands cup my cheeks and my face was turned up. My vision was blurred and I realized that I was crying. My heart was hammering and I was dizzy; my breath was fast and short. But I recognized Yuri’s face staring back at me at close range. “Breathe,” he said calmly. “Breathe with me, Bernadetta.” He inhaled and exhaled slowly, and I felt myself breathing along with him. He held my gaze and continued to cup my face as I felt my heart rate slowly relaxed. My breathing started to sound even, and the sound was loud enough to drown out the ugly thoughts. Yuri leaned away and pressed a handkerchief in my hands. “Are you all right?”

I wiped my face and sniffled, and nodded stiffly. “T...Thank you.”

”We used to do those breathing exercises when we were kids,” Yuri said and I looked at him. He shrugged. “When we first started getting to know each other you frequently had panic attacks. Once you started those breathing exercises you were able to calm down.”

”...I remember,” I said, smiling. “Thank you, Yuri.”

”It was no—” he was cut off by the loud sound of a fork scraping against a plate. Yuri and I both turned simultaneously to see Hapi standing in the Dining Hall’s doorway. Standing right beside her, surprisingly, was Raphael Kirsten. Both of them were holding plates of cake and both of them were standing there watching us as a raptured audience!

”Nohw, pweese go ahead,” Hapi said with her mouth full. “Down’t min us!”

“You should sing a song!” Raphael encouraged me with his booming voice. “Yuri, have you heard Bernadetta sing or play music? It’s fantastic!”

”I have,” Yuri said quickly, taking me by the hand again. “Now, please excuse us.”

He quickly pulled me towards the stairs directly in front of the Fishing Pond. I thought Ashe and Annette would still be there, but thankfully the dock was empty. We raced down to the edge of the dock and caught our breaths as we sat down. Unable to help myself I removed my shoes and let my bare feet dangle in the water. Yuri didn’t take off his boots though, and instead sat cross-legged beside me. The water was freezing, but the coldness helped me to clear my mind. _You need to relax, Bernie. You need to relax, because you’re in this position because of the choices you made. All you can do is live with those choices!_

”How about this, Bernadetta,” Yuri said suddenly, breaking the silence. “Let’s clear the air now. You talk and I listen. That way you can get rid of the worst of the baggage you’re carrying around before tomorrow.”

I looked at him out of the corner of my eye. “Y...You would really listen to me?”

”Sure,” he told me. “That’s what friends do.”

 _Friends..._ I ignored the disappointment at this moniker and nodded stiffly. “O-Okay. Where should I start?”

”Why did you join the Blue Lions?”

I looked at him fully. “W-What?”

”I have a feeling that a lot of the conflict you’re feeling is due to the fact that you’re helping to annex your homeland,” Yuri pointed out. “And you may be facing your family tomorrow. So...why did you leave the Black Eagles? Had you stayed with the Black Eagles, you would’ve sided with Edelgard and would’ve fought _with_ your family.”

”B-But then I would be dead!” I blurted out. I quickly slapped my hands over my mouth.

Yuri went still, and in the moonlight I saw that he looked shocked. “What?”

I lowered my hands and looked towards the pond. A low whining voice rumbled in my throat involuntarily and I swallowed to stop it. “Edelgard, she...I don’t think she liked me very much. I liked her, you know? She was beautiful, brave, and confident. She was the person that I-I wanted to be. But she...” I closed my eyes. “She got angry with me. All the time. I tried to be close to her and get to know her, because I wanted to be her friend. B-But she treated me like I was a nuisance. I would ask her questions about herself, and she—her reactions were unpredictable to me. Sometimes she would give me answers, and other times she would scold me. Like, I-I didn’t know how to talk to her. I didn’t know how to be around her, because when I stayed away from her she acted like I was running away from responsibilities. But when I tried to be _close_ to her she acted like I was spying on her.”

”Well, her behavior in hindsight isn’t surprising,” Yuri said. “Hubert and her were plotting outright war against the Church of Seiros, and they hid that from the rest of you. They hid it so well that _I_ didn’t know! If you kept following her around then you would’ve found out their plans accidentally. Then...” he shrugged stiffly. “I would like to think that they would’ve conscripted you as an ally, but they allowed their “allies” to experiment on students at the Monastery. They knew the truth about Captain Jeralt’s murderer—and by extension they knew what _really_ happened to Monica von Ochs—and they said _nothing_ to Professor Byleth about it. You...were right to be concerned.”

”The Battle of the Eagle and Lion,” I said suddenly. I closed my eyes. “I-I was still with the Black Eagles during that battle. It—I was the first student taken out during the battle, a-and I...I felt like Edelgard didn’t care about what happened to me. It was play-fighting, and r-really I hurt myself more when I fell down the hill after I was defeated. But Edelgard, she—I-I just got this feeling that she didn’t care about me. That she just saw me as a means to an end. A-And when I thought like that, then...I became frightened for my own safety. I didn’t want to leave my room. I-I stopped eating because I was too scared to leave my room. Then...” I smiled sadly. “Then Professor Byleth knocked on my door, and asked me if I wanted to join the Blue Lions.”

_"Oh! Um... Professor...My class is, um...Would you, um...Can I join your class?!"_

_”Yes, I definitely want you to join my class!”_

_"Yes! Thank you so much! This'll be so much better! I don't know why, but I'm just so much more comfortable when you're around."_

”That had to be tough on you,” Yuri said softly. “It’s a damn shame that you were made to feel unwelcome like that.”

I nodded. I opened my eyes again and looked out over the pond. “At the latest battle at Gronder Field—when Edelgard set fire to the hill—I kept looking up at the ballista. I just kept thinking _“I was up there five years ago”_. And I...when the Imperial Army set the hill on fire, with Imperial Soldiers still on that hill...I realized that had I stayed with Edelgard, then _I_ would’ve been up on that hill. I would’ve—died up there, if not by the Kingdom Army, then by the Alliance Army. And if not by the Alliance Army...”

”Then by the _Imperial_ Army when they set the hill on fire,” Yuri concluded. He placed a hand on my shoulder. “There’s the rub, then. By joining the Kingdom Army, then you’re forced to fight against your family and your country. But had you stayed put, then your death was all but assured.” He hissed sharply. “Now I feel more motivated to fight tomorrow. It disgusts me when people are used for the gain of others. Especially when that gain...destroys so much.”

I looked at him. “So I’m relieved that I left the Black Eagles, but...I don’t want to face Mother on the battlefield.”

”Well, I don’t think you have anything to worry about,” Yuri told me confidently. “Enbarr is a giant city after all. The chances of you crossing paths are extremely slim. Not to mention the fact that Prince Dimitri will probably take every avenue to keep fatalities to a minimum. I believe that your mother will be fine tomorrow...as will you.”

”R-Really?”

”Really.”

I found myself relaxing more, and I managed a smile. “Thank you, Yuri.”

”So that’s one thing,” Yuri said bluntly, withdrawing his hand from my shoulder. “Now, me. Why did you agree to have cake with me, but then refuse? You were flustered when I offered—but you seemed happy. Then you backed out at the last possible minute. Why?”

I turned away again. This...This I didn’t have an answer for. True, I was insecure about Dorothea’s harmless teasing over my “date” with Yuri. I considered him a friend, but—but I couldn’t deny how muddled my feelings were for him. He was my friend, but I did love him when we were children. And even though he was a hired assassin, he had come to truly care about me. So much so that when it was time for him to kill me, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

_I loved him, and he’s my friend now, but...but are the extent of my feelings for him? What does he feel for me? Will he tell me?_

I was silent for a long time, but he didn’t push me to answer him. We sat there for what seemed like ages, looking out over the water. I was starting to get chilly...when I closed my eyes, I could almost imagine myself tied up in that room again...

”Do you remember?” I asked suddenly.

”Hmm?”

”The day after my birthday. The only birthday of mine you were at my estate. I was dragged kicking and screaming into another training session to be a proper lady. Tied to a chair and locked in a room for six hours. I-I always thought that it was odd that Father locked me in, because how could I possibly leave the room anyway when I was tied up? But you...I-I don’t know how you did it, but you got into the room. You tried to untie me but I made sure you didn’t. I-I didn’t want you to get into trouble. So...” I shrugged. “You cleaned up my face and gave me soup to drink. It was the first time...I felt like someone cared about me.”

Yuri was silent for a long moment after I finished. When he spoke, he surprised me. “I...don’t remember that.”

”What?!” I turned around to face him. “You don’t remember?!”

Yuri shrugged. “Are you sure that happened? I think I would remember it.”

”Yes, it most certainly did happen! I remember because it was the day after my birthday! I remember because—!” My hand quickly covered my cheek and I flushed.

Yuri narrowed his eyes at me and leaned in close to peer at me. “Because what?”

”It—let’s talk about something else! Like, Hapi said you’ve had relationships before?” I don’t know what prompted me to say that, but I flushed even darker the moment the words we out of my mouth.

”Oh, yes,” Yuri said. “Both men and women, but not as frequently as my comrades seem to think that I do.”

”Really?” I looked at him in astonishment.

”Sure. I’m pretty open-minded when it comes to my partners. If they have a good personality, and if they’re good between the she—” 

”That’s enough!” I scrambled to my feet, splashing water into the air. I snatched up my shoes. “I’m going back to my room now!”

”I’ll take you there.” Yuri jumped to his feet too.

”N-No that’s not—”

Yuri leaned in close to my face again. “But what about the ghosts, Bernadetta? What if _they_ show up?”

I shook my head furiously. “A-All right, _fine_! Just to my door! The door _you_ broke!”

”Yes, I know.” Yuri took me by the arm and guided me off the dock and towards the stairs leading to the Dormitories. I...felt better, but not completely. Yuri helped me to focus myself in terms of facing my family on the battlefield. But otherwise, there were still a few things unresolved for me. Such fully reconciling everything that happened to me when I was a child...and the real extent of my feelings for Yuri.

_But the former is something I’ve struggled with my entire life. It’s not going to magically get better just over the course of a single night. This is something I’m going to have to continue to work on. The most I can do is make sure to survive tomorrow, and make sure Mother survives tomorrow, so I can face Father and her about all of it._

_The latter, though...I’m afraid I’m going to have to put off thinking about what my feelings are for Yuri for now. I-I can’t be worrying about that in the middle of a siege. I’ll survive tomorrow, and then give it my attention._

The ugly thoughts wanted to whisper over my mind, but I blotted them out with my newfound conviction. _I will survive tomorrow. Mother will survive tomorrow. I trust in Dimitri and the Professor to make this happen!_

”And here we are,” Yuri said, bringing me to my door. Seeing my familiar door filled me with relief again. He tested the doorknob that he’d broken before trying the other one. “Ah, there see? It can close and give you privacy for tonight at least.”

I moved to slink into my room, but stopped myself on the threshold and turned to face Yuri. “Thank you for inviting me to cake. A-And thank you for listening to me. I do feel a little better after talking.”

”I’m glad,” Yuri said, smiling again.

A thought occurred to me. “H-Hey, you never said why _you_ joined the Blue Lions!”

”Oh, me?” Yuri waved a hand. “Professor Byleth simply asked me in our second conversation, and I said yes.”

”...Just like that?”

”Just like that. She _is_ the first person I’ve ever met with whom I trusted immediately upon meeting them, so I thought she couldn’t be all bad. And of course I was a good judge of character.”

I shook my head. “I-It’s amazing that you trusted someone so quickly!”

”Yes, that’s unlike me.”

My hands fell to my sides, and I noticed my satchel for the first time all evening. “O-Oh no, I forgot!” I frantically dug into it.

”Forgot what?” Yuri asked me.

I found the sweater, and thrusted it into his chest. “Here, Yuri! I knitted this for you!”

Yuri took the sweater from me slowly. I looked up and my heart skipped a beat when I saw how _stunned_ he looked. He rubbed one hand along the length of a sleeve. “The material feels good.”

”It shouldn’t feel scratchy,” I agreed.

Yuri sighed quietly. “But this...this isn’t really my style.”

My heart sank. “W-What?”

”I mean this color? This color doesn’t suit me, Bernadetta. It’s not really a color I wear.”

”W-What are you talking about?” I sputtered. “That sweater is the same color as your hair!”

”Yes, but it’s _purple_ —”

”You’re wearing purple right now!”

”Am I?” Yuri pretended to look down at himself. “Ah yes, I am. Well, I’m not one to refuse gifts. Should I try it on now?”

”No!” I pushed on his chest lightly. “Please, just try it on in your own room!”

Yuri laughed. “It never ceases to amaze me how easy it is to rile you up.”

”I—”

Then, without prompt, Yuri leaned forward—and kissed me on the cheek. I was stunned, and felt a jolt of shock in my body. _H-He—!_

Yuri leaned back only slightly. His nose almost touched mine as he met my eyes. “Have a good night...friend.” Then he left, closing my doors behind him.

I pressed a hand to my cheek and fell to the floor, landing hard on my backside. _He kissed me! On the cheek! On the same cheek he kissed when we were kids! Ohhh, he was teasing me all along! I hate him! I absolutely do NOT love him!_

_”I’m pretty open-minded when it comes to my partners.”_

I shook my head and climbed back to my feet, nursing my backside with one hand. “I’m going to bed,” I grumbled to myself. I rubbed a hand over my cheek again...and couldn’t help but smile.

_I didn’t tie up loose ends, but I had delicious cake with a special person and I feel less terrible about myself. There’s still a lot that I need to do, but...I’m starting to feel like I can do it._

**Author's Note:**

> Yes. Yuri choosing Ike as his name while under his fake identity wasn’t an accident. :)
> 
> Also, I don’t know if there is a romance novel out there called “My Love on Dove’s Wings”. It was just the most unassuming title I could think of for a romance novel with graphic sexual content. And yes, Seteth read the book and he banned it because he thought the number of gratuitous sex scenes was excessive. And because the book has an unassuming cover he didn’t want to risk Flayn reading such a book, LOL.


End file.
